Godard's Le chinoise corresponds loosely with Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Devils (aka The Possessed / Demons), the 1872 novel. Among other direct connections, there are roughly the same characters in both (specifically Kirilov, who is named the same), there are similar calisthenics, slogans, attitudes and the same nihilistic calls for striking violently at the powers that be, a move to action. The Dostoyevsky connection here is icing on Devil's food cake -- nice to know, but not necessary.
Random quips and notes.
Francis Jeanson: "If you're really a worker then really work.""They were a bit like children?"
An actual date: August 15, 1967.
Year Zero Theatre. Rubble. Glass. People.
"All roads lead to Peking." [Now all roads lead to Beijing . . .]
"Why be your own enemy?" [Indeed, why?]
"Okay, it's fiction.
But it brought me closer to reality.
Think about it."
Today's Rune: Fertility.
3 comments:
Erik, this kind of stuff is the reason I love your blog.
Now that I gave up netflix, I may never see some of these films.
Dostoyevsky the ultimate socialist of the aristocracy!
Post a Comment